Mayumi Kojima’s press release describes her songs as “new old music”, and I couldn’t agree more. From the first drum strikes of “Nemurenai Yoru” it’s clear that Blue Rondo is an authentically retro album. The old-fashioned sound is not a gimmick, but rather the result of Kojima expressing her true voice.
Blue Rondo is a fresh look at the sounds of the 60’s, with reverb dripping vibrato guitars, roomy drums and warm upright basslines accompanying Kojima’s vocals. While Kojima’s vocals can sometimes lean too far towards the ‘childish’ side of the spectrum, her singing on Blue Rondo sounds supple and mature.
“Paper Moon” is a lively gypsy jazz tune with a wonderfully bouncy acoustic guitar driving the off-beat rhythm and a wispy Farfisa organ filling out the melody. The highlight of the album, though, is the slinky “Suspiria!” with features Kojima’s cooing vocals at their best. With just a hint of a coy whine in her voice, Kojima knocks this one out of the park.
While there is much to be gained from exploring new branches of music, Kojima demonstrates that there is plenty of substance left in the roots. A retro treat, Blue Rondo is one of the best records I’ve heard so far this year.
Video: Arabesque
Buy Blue Rondo at HearJapan
